How to Plan Your Painting Before Picking Up a Brush

Great paintings don’t just happen—they’re the result of careful planning and preparation. Before I ever pick up a brush, I spend time planning the composition, values, and overall vision for the painting. This preparation makes the painting process smoother, faster, and more enjoyable.

Here’s how to plan your painting so that everything falls into place once you start working on the canvas.

1. Visualize the Final Piece

The first step is to develop a clear vision for your painting. Think about what you want to convey, what mood you want to create, and what message or feeling you hope the viewer will take away. This helps guide all your decisions moving forward.

Penny’s Process:
I often start by visualizing the colours, composition, and main elements in my head. Once I have a mental picture of the final painting, I start sketching out the ideas on paper.

2. Create a Value Study

A value study is a simplified version of your painting that focuses only on light and dark areas. It’s an essential tool for figuring out how your composition will work in terms of contrast and depth. This helps ensure that your painting has strong structure before colour is added.

How I Do It:
I create a small, quick value sketch using just black, white, and greys. This allows me to plan where the darkest darks and lightest lights will go, setting the stage for the entire painting.

3. Organize Your Composition

Planning your composition means figuring out the placement of your main elements on the canvas. A strong composition leads the viewer’s eye around the painting and creates balance, so it’s important to organize everything before starting to paint.

Pro Tip:
Use the rule of thirds or other compositional guides to help place your focal point. Think about where you want the viewer’s attention to be and plan your composition accordingly.

4. Prepare a Limited Palette

If you’re planning to use a limited palette, this is the time to prepare your colours. Decide which colours you’ll use for the main elements of your painting, and mix some test swatches to see how they interact. This can save you time and prevent colour chaos when you’re in the painting zone.

My Approach:
I often pre-mix my colours or create test swatches before starting. This helps me know what colours work together and ensures that I stay consistent throughout the painting process.

Final Thoughts

Planning your painting before you start is one of the best ways to set yourself up for success. By visualizing the final piece, creating a value study, organizing your composition, and preparing your colours, you’ll make the painting process smoother and more enjoyable.

Until next time, Keep splashing colours!
Penny 😊🎨✨